Page 54 of Saving it with My Best Friend's Brother

“If you two are finished,” I said sharply, channeling Mom’s best mediator voice, “we have actual problems to deal with.”

“Amelia—” they both started.

“No.” I held up my hand, the bracelet glinting. “Michael, I love you, but you don’t get to question my choices. And Hunter?” I softened slightly, seeing the genuine concern in his eyes. “Thank you for being willing to have this conversation with my brother, but right now, I need you both focused on keeping the festival safe.”

They had the grace to look ashamed.

“Now,” I continued the weight of Mom’s bracelet grounding me. “Wheeler just tried to destroy Mom’s reputation. Are you two done posturing so you can help me fight back?”

Michael’s expression shifted from protective brother to determined lawyer, a transformation I’d seen at countless town meetings. “They went after Mom?”

“Show me,” Hunter said simultaneously, his hand finding mine. The gentle pressure of his fingers spoke volumes about support and solidarity.

Back in the main chamber, we gathered around Claire’s laptop. Michael’s legal training proved invaluable as he spotted weaknesses in Wheeler’s fabricated evidence, his pen tappingagainst the table in a familiar rhythm. Hunter worked his phone quietly, and his media contacts were already helping counter the false narrative.

“We should hold a press conference,” Claire suggested, her laptop displaying trending social media support. “Get ahead of the story.”

“Better idea,” Michael said slowly, his eyes finding a town photo where Mom stood proudly at her environmental foundation launch. “Remember Mom’s environmental foundation? The scholarship fund for local kids?”

“The one she started right before she died,” I nodded, remembering how she’d beamed, announcing the first recipient in this chamber.

“What if we announce an expansion? Honor her real legacy while they’re trying to tarnish it?”

“I’ll fund it,” Hunter said immediately. “Through my firm.”

I turned to him, surprised by the emotion in his voice. “Hunter, you don’t have to—”

“I want to.” His eyes held mine, intense with understanding. “Your mother was trying to stop Crystal Ridge. To prevent what happened to my father from happening to others. Let me help honor that.”

The tenderness in his voice made me forget we weren’t alone, reminding me of how Mom used to say that true partnerships were built on shared values. Michael cleared his throat.

“Maybe,” he said grudgingly, watching our joined hands, “I was wrong about some things.”

Hunter’s smile was genuine. “Only some?”

Before Michael could respond, Agent Blake approached rapidly, and her casual demeanor dropped.

“We’ve got movement,” she said. “Wheeler just called an emergency meeting of the county board. He’s trying to shut down the festival on safety grounds.”

“Can he do that?” Claire asked, already pulling up county regulations.

“Not if we stop him,” I said firmly, drawing strength from Hunter’s presence beside me, Michael’s protective stance, and the community’s support. “When’s the meeting?”

“One hour.”

The old town hall clock chimed—its familiar sound echoing through the chamber. I straightened, feeling Mom’s strength in my bones.

“Then let’s end this,” I said. “Once and for all.”

But as we gathered our evidence and prepared to leave, a final email arrived. The soft ping seemed to echo in the sudden quiet:

Brave words, princess. But ask yourself—who’s watching the resort while you’re playing hero at the county board? Some things are more precious than reputations.

Check the old ski lift.

My blood ran cold at the mention of the ski lift. Mom’s letters had mentioned it—something about maintenance records and inspection bribes from years ago. The same lift where Dad had his first job as a teenager.

“It’s a trap,” Hunter said immediately, his hand on my shoulder as he read over it.

---